In Loving Memory of John M. Richardson - Founder of Surrender or Bleed
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2025 8:55 pm
We honor the memory of John M. Richardson, the visionary founder behind Surrender or Bleed.
We also remember his work as the author of River of Nine Dragons, a powerful story that exemplifies the grit and spirit he brought to the SOB Squad.
John’s legacy lives on through his writing and the community he inspired.
Published: April 18, 2011
River of Nine Dragons on Amazon.com
John Richardson was born in 1944 at Buxton Hospital in Newport News, Virginia. Following the death of his father in 1958 at the age of forty, John’s mother, Grace, moved him to North Carolina when he was just thirteen years old. There, he lived with his grandparents, John and Lesley Fox, and worked alongside them on the family farm. At the age of eighteen, John and his cousin Joseph enlisted in the United States Army on October 31, 1962. After his military service, John married his first wife while living near the Great Smoky Mountains, close to where he had grown up in North Carolina. The couple had two children during their twelve-year marriage before eventually divorcing. John later relocated to Michigan, where he made his home for the remainder of his life. He remarried, finding lasting love with his beloved wife, Lesley. Through this union, he gained two stepchildren—Carrie and Brett—adding to his family of one daughter and now three sons. After twenty-six years of marriage, Lesley passed away from brain cancer on December 21, 2007. John himself passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy of love, resilience, and family.
We also remember his work as the author of River of Nine Dragons, a powerful story that exemplifies the grit and spirit he brought to the SOB Squad.
John’s legacy lives on through his writing and the community he inspired.
Published: April 18, 2011
River of Nine Dragons on Amazon.com
John Richardson was born in 1944 at Buxton Hospital in Newport News, Virginia. Following the death of his father in 1958 at the age of forty, John’s mother, Grace, moved him to North Carolina when he was just thirteen years old. There, he lived with his grandparents, John and Lesley Fox, and worked alongside them on the family farm. At the age of eighteen, John and his cousin Joseph enlisted in the United States Army on October 31, 1962. After his military service, John married his first wife while living near the Great Smoky Mountains, close to where he had grown up in North Carolina. The couple had two children during their twelve-year marriage before eventually divorcing. John later relocated to Michigan, where he made his home for the remainder of his life. He remarried, finding lasting love with his beloved wife, Lesley. Through this union, he gained two stepchildren—Carrie and Brett—adding to his family of one daughter and now three sons. After twenty-six years of marriage, Lesley passed away from brain cancer on December 21, 2007. John himself passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy of love, resilience, and family.